Students shared ‘inappropriate’ photos

Brookfield police were called into Brookfield schools Thursday when administrators learned that students were sharing “inappropriate pictures” of a Brookfield Middle School girl, school Superintendent Velina Jo Taylor said.

Taylor said she believes the photos were selfies taken by the
girl, who was not in school Thursday.

The case is solely in the hands of police, she said.

“Unless those pictures were taken here at school, there won’t
be” disciplinary action taken by school officials, she said.

With the advent of digital photography and file sharing through phones, school and law enforcement officials have struggled with getting young people to understand the gravity of taking and sharing inappropriate photos. So-called “sexting,” in which inappropriate photos are shared by text message or like means, can be a felony resulting in heavy punishment for anyone convicted, Taylor said.

“When they find out about it, it’s a shock to everybody,” she said of students.